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Four Ways You Can Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims

You’ve heard by now that a huge and deadly tornado did some very serious damage as it ripped through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore yesterday. The two-mile-wide twister leveled homes and tore down schools on its 22-mile path, reportedly killing dozens, injuring hundreds, and, in one fell swoop, destroying thousands of homes.

The scene in hard-hit areas of central Oklahoma looks, from the Internet's growing collection of pictures and Vines, like a war zone. Along with way too many heart-wrenching videos (like this Vine of men searching for a lost little boy named Tommy) are a few heartwarming moments like this video of a survivor watching her missing dog emerge from the rubble during an interview with CBS:

The images depict only a slice of the devastation that has hit Oklahoma City. Here are a few ways to help support the victims right now:

Text “REDCROSS” to 90999 and you’ll automatically donate $10 to its disaster relief efforts, currently focused on feeding and sheltering people in affected areas. To donate other amounts, go to www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Use the Red Cross Safe and Well website to make sure any potentially affected family and friends are OK (and if so, help make sure they are registered on the site as “Safe and Well” so other loved ones can check in on them too).

Contribute $10 to the Salvation Army’s efforts to send mobile kitchens to South Oklahoma City by texting “STORM” to 80888. You can also donate online, or by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY.

Photo: Gene Blevins/Reuters/Newscom

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Katie SandersContributing editor. Resident tall girl. Past investigative reporting projects have involved time in prison and on JDate (never at the same time).